Gladiator II 2024 Vegamovies: Release Date, Box Office Collection and Review

Hail, Ridley Scott, those who are about to die to salute you! We are dying to see it, understandably, because Gladiator 2  is coming out soon and, although Russell Crowe is no longer around to deliver sword strokes in the role of  Maximus Decimus Meridius, the replacements that the English director has found are, at the very least, as imperial as that budget of 310 million dollars.   

Paul Mescal (Normal People) and Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us, The Mandalorian) will take up arms at the Colosseum, leading a star-studded cast that includes some of the actors from the 2000 film. After hearing the Chilean-American praise his colleague's muscles, the only thing left to wonder is whether either of them will be able to repeat their predecessor's feat: travelling from Germany to Extremadura on horseback in less than 24 hours.

When is 'Gladiator 2' released?

After filming began in Morocco in May 2023 and continued until January 2024, Paramount has set a US release date of November 22, 2024, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In Spain, we'll be able to see Gladiator 2 even earlier: it will hit theaters in our country on November 15.

'Gladiator 2' trailer

If Scott threw the domus out the window with the first Gladiator, this first trailer for the film shows that he is determined to beat his own record of spectacularity. Naval battles, rhinos, the intrigues of Denzel Washington, the smirk of Fred Hechinger as  Caracalla (another crazy emperor, and there are many...) and, of course, Mescal and Pascal showing off their biceps, which is what we are here for. 

'Gladiator 2' poster

Paramount has just released the first poster for Gladiator 2, featuring an image of Paul Mescal sporting a full Greco-Roman warrior's kit (including a breastplate, a short sword, and that heavily reinforced calligae to keep the sand on the track from ruining your feet). 

What is 'Gladiator 2' about? Synopsis of the sequel

After discarding some initial scripts in which Maximus Decimus Meridius was resurrected from among the Roman gods, the sequel to Gladiator will finally focus on the story of Lucius Verus, the son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and nephew of the evil Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix ). This new story is set 25 years after what we saw in the first installment. 

"We had 21 pages when we started shooting Gladiator. A normal script is about 110. It's the dumbest way to make a movie," Crowe, who was actively involved in creating the dialogue, has said in the past. "We dodged a bullet." Hopefully, it will be different this time. 

Ridley Scott, 85, will once again take the director's chair. "If I didn't want to direct Gladiator 2, I'd be stupid," the Briton previously said. A job that comes after the release of Napoleon, the film in which he collaborated once again with Joaquin Phoenix and which received two nominations at the 2024 Oscars. 

The new script is by  Peter Craig, who has gained fame in recent years for his work on Top Gun: Maverick, The Batman, and the latest installments of The Hunger Games, as well as for his work as a novelist of such award-winning works as Hot Plastic and Blood Father.

The cast of 'Gladiator 2': Paul Mescal's moment

Paul Mescal plays the title role in Gladiator 2. The actor takes on the story of the character of  Lucius Verus, the son of Lucilla, nephew of Commodus, and grandson of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). This character was played in 2000 by a very young  Spencer Treat Clark ( Animal Kingdom ), who was left as a contender for power after the death of his uncle. This is a relevant role for Mescal, who in recent years was successful with the films  Unknown and Aftersun, as well as the series  Normal People.

Connie Nielsen (Lucilla) also announced her return in this sequel, showing her joy at the possibility of being part of this universe again. Who will not be there in the end is Djimon Hounsou (Juba),  Maximus' partner who had been rumored to return.

The cast is completed by such famous names in the Hollywood industry as Denzel Washington ( Training Day ),  Joseph Quinn ( Stranger Things ), Matt Lucas (Wonka), Fred Hechinger ( News of the World ), Lior Raz ( Fauda ), May Calamawy ( Moon Knight ),  Peter Mensah ( 300 ) or Tim McInnerny ( Game of Thrones ), among others.